The Goat Locker

The “Goat Locker” is the traditional term for the senior enlisted mess aboard a ship. All sailors know and many fear the term, but few know how the goat locker came to be.

Following the establishment of the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the days of wooden sailing ships, goats were kept aboard due to their ability to consume nearly all kinds of refuse and provide milk was highly valued by the crew. Anybody that’s ever kept a goat knows they’ll eat nearly anything, which is highly valuable on a ship that has garbage that needs “recycling.”

When the rank of Chief Petty Officer was established, no ships had separate berthings for senior enlisted personnel. The newly-minted chiefs gladly accepted the same quarters as the ship’s goat, leading one to question exactly how bad the normal enlisted quarters were.

By tradition, all sailors and officers (including the commanding officer) are required to request permission before entering the chief’s mess, or Goat Locker. The tradition stands with rare exception even today, upon pain of extreme and scathing rebuke and embarrassment by the Command Master Chief, a creature who is typically not known for having a profound and inspiring patience for nonsense.

This month, Navy Crow celebrates the tradition of the Goat Locker with the new Goat Locker Tavern coin! An excellent coin to give for any junior sailor’s achievements or to celebrate your own achievements wearing the khakis!